E-commerce volumes surge by 23% during Black Friday sales: Unicommerce

Black Friday, an American retail tradition, has firmly cemented its place in the Indian market as a major e-commerce sales event. Consumers are extending their post-Diwali shopping spree to benefit from Black Friday and related sales like Cyber Monday.

There has been a sharp 23 per cent increase in e-commerce order volumes compared to the Black Friday sale weekend of 2022, according to e-commerce tech firm Unicommerce. This data is based on the analysis of the orders processed on its platform.

E-commerce firms, retailers, and marquee brands are enticing customers with deals that were previously exclusive to Diwali. The sales and discounts were available both online and offline for Black Friday on November 24 and Cyber Monday soon after.

The Black Friday weekend brought cheers for online sellers. Over 8.5 million order items were demanded on the Unicommerce platform during the 2023 Black Friday sale weekend. Unicommerce received an average of 1,500 orders of item demand every minute. More than 10 sellers received demand for over 100,000 order items during the four-day weekend, and over 100 sellers received demand for more than 10,000 order items through the Unicommerce platform.

The Black Friday surge was not limited to metro cities alone. Tier-III cities reported the highest growth of 43 per cent, followed by 19 per cent growth for Tier-I cities and 16 per cent in Tier-II cities, according to Unicommerce.

Fashion and beauty products maintained their status as dominant categories during the Black Friday sale, continuing to attract a significant portion of consumer interest. Additionally, there was a noticeable uptick in volumes for fast-moving consumer goods and eyewear segments, indicating a diversification in consumer preferences during the sales season.

Tata Group’s e-commerce venture Tata CLiQ, lifestyle platform Tata CLiQ Luxury, and beauty business Tata CLiQ Palette had a plethora of attractive offers for the Black Friday Sale. Apart from offers on global and Indian brands across categories, the platforms also expanded their assortment with the introduction of new brands and collections.

“At Tata CLiQ, the footwear category has grown from the previous year during this sale. In addition, western and winter wear in the apparel category has done very well,” said Gopal Asthana, chief executive officer, Tata CLiQ.

“Tata CLiQ Luxury saw significant growth in categories like eyewear, home, and watches. Apart from these, Indiluxe, a boutique offering premium and luxury home-grown brands across categories, witnessed over 100 per cent growth.”

Asthana said that Tata CLiQ Palette also had a successful Black Friday sale, with products in the skincare, fragrances, and make-up categories being popular purchases.

Queries to e-commerce firms Amazon and Flipkart to share insights about such sale events remained unanswered.

While during the Diwali festival sales, marketplace growth outpaced direct-to-consumer brands, the trend was reversed during the Black Friday weekend.

Brand websites reported robust growth, with order volumes rising by 28 per cent during the weekend, according to Unicommerce. The marketplaces reported a relatively lower growth of 19 per cent. The growing popularity of Black Friday has made it a crucial sales period for both online marketplaces and individual brands in India.

During the Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, NeceSera, an eco-friendly loungewear brand, experienced a surge in sales, boasting a 172 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

“Notably, the upswing in customer spending was noticeable, particularly in Tier-I cities, showing a 1.5x increase, while Tier-II cities like Guwahati, Vadodara, Jaipur, etc, witnessed a substantial 2x surge in sales,” said Riddhi Jain, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), NeceSera.

“Interestingly, Tier-II cities exhibited notably higher average order value compared to Tier-I cities, unlike the trend throughout the year.”

Jain said the growing popularity of the Black Friday weekend in India stems from customers saving on categories often missed during the bustling festival season.

Mini Sood Banerjee, assistant director and head of marketing, Amorepacific Group (India), the South Korean cosmetics brand, said that Black Friday stands out as the most widely embraced sales event in both the US and across the globe. Its influence has extended to India, providing Indian consumers with the opportunity to indulge in discounts on their favourite brands.

“The strategic timing of this sale, coinciding with Diwali, has led to a noticeable increase in sales. This year, our outreach for Laneige (cosmetics brand) has surpassed that of the previous year,” said Banerjee. “Collaborating with influencers for Nykaa Pink Friday, we successfully reached a broader audience, introducing Laneige to new consumers.”

Anchit Nayar, executive director and CEO, Nykaa Beauty, said that Nykaa’s flagship Pink Friday sale is witnessing tremendous customer engagement.

“With leading international brands offering deals for the very first time, we are thrilled to be the ultimate beauty destination for millions of consumers online and across our 165 stores,” said Nayar.

“From luxury international cult favorites to home-grown bestsellers, Pink Friday promises to cater to all kinds of beauty shoppers, further solidifying Nykaa's position as a premier destination for unparalleled beauty experiences.”